Towel



A. D. BARR TOWEL June 20, 1944..

Filed Sept Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES@ igla'lh. 'i OFFICE TOWEL Alan D. Barr, Tulsa, Okla.

Application September, 1940, Serial No. 356,004

2 Claims.

This invention relates to towels, particularly bath towels formed of terry cloth or other similar materials.

When towels of this character are used for drying and massaging of the back and shoulders,

they are usually grasped at opposed diagonal corners and drawn briskly over the back and shoulders in a reciprocating motion. Usually the pressure is such as .to tear the fabric, since the strains extend biasly of the warp andj Woof threads of the fabric. Such towels are exceptionally subject to tearing after they have been laundered several times, with the result that maintenance of the towel supply .of hotels and masseur institutes is expensive.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a towel constructed with reinforcement for taking the bias strains which result in tearing of the fabric.

In accomplishing this and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective. View showing use of a towel embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the towel.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the towel on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a modified embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a further modified form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 'l-l of Fig. 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

l designates a bath towel which may be formed of any suitable toweling material, such as terry cloth, including woof and warp threads 2 and 3 running transversely and longitudinally of the fabric, and piling threads 4 in which the loops 5 are uncut.

The towel is of usual shape in that it is of rectangular form and has corners 6, l, S and 9, by which the towel is usually grasped when used for drying or massaging of the back and shoulders as shown in Fig. 1. When ordinary towels are used in this manner, excessive strains are placed across the bias of the fabric, with the result that the material is torn, especially near the corners 6 and 9, or 1 and 8, depending upon which of the corners are gripped.

In order to overcome this difculty, I have woven into the fabric one or more relatively heavy and strong strands or cords lll and ll, extending from a zone including the corner l and points closely adjacent thereto substantially directly to a zone including the diagonally opposite corner 3 and points .closely adjacent thereto, and from the corner 6 to the corner S, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, so that the bias strains are taken by the cords lll and l! and relieved from'the threads of the fabric, By the term woven applicant particularly means that the relatively heavy and strong cords l0 and Il extend up and down through meshes formed by the warp and woof threads or directed in an intricate course as they are extended from one corner to the diagonally opposite corner of the towel.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a similar towel wherein the material is reinforced by diagonal lines of stitching composed of relatively heavy and strong strands I2 and i3. Any form of stitching may be used having relatively little stretch' in the lcngitudinaI direction thereof.

Fig. 6 shows a further modified form of the invention wherein the towel is reinforced by diagonally arranged strips of tape I 4 and I5 extending continuously from one corner to the opposite diagonal corner and secured to one surface of the towel by lines of stitching i6 and l1.

When a towel of my improved construction is used, it is grasped at the corners? and 8, or 6 and t, as the case may be, and drawn over the shoulders and back, a sucient pressure being applied, and brisk enough movement, to produce a massaging effect. Since the strains are resisted by the diagonal reinforcement extending in the direction of the pull, the towel is vcapable of long wear and will, therefore, give greater service and withstand many launderings.

The strands or cords Il) and Il may be of different color than the material forming the toweling so as to provide a decorative feature and to better show the direction in which the towel is reinforced so that it is more apt to be grasped at the corners desired. If desired, the cords I0 and H may be woven in the form of lettering, designating the ownership of the towel.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a towel which is of simple and inexpensive construction and well capable of withstanding the strains produced incidental to massage treatments.

What I claim and desire Patent is:

1. A terry cloth towel of substantially rectangular shape having woof and warp threads of to secure by Letters said cloth .extending transversely and longitudinally of the towel and retaining loops characterizing the terry cloth, and a substantially nonelastic reinforcementl extending from one corner of the towel diagonally across the warp and woof threads to the opposite corner to take tension strains' diagonally of the warp and woof threads when the towel is gripped at the corners thereof.

2. A terry cloth towel of substantially rectangular shape having Woof and warp threads of said cloth extending transversely and longitudinally of the towel and retaining loops characterizing the terry cloth, a substantially non-elastic reinforcement extending from one corner of the towel diagonally across the warp and woot threads to the opposite corner, and stitching securing the reinforcement to the towel.

ALAN D. BARR. 

